SOCIALISTS, THINK THROUGH THE REFORM AGENDA
THE proposal by the Socialist Party President, Dr Fred M’membe to strengthen the role of our traditional leaders in the provincial administration has generated emotional debate.
The debate is healthy except that it is pretty unfocussed on the why and how. Under the colonial administration, our traditional leaders played a political role under the Native Authority Administration, but they lacked genuine power to make decisions in the interest of their subjects or natives.
In the post-colonial era, the traditional leaders have been confined to traditional ceremonies, though under the UNIP administration, they were co-opted into the central committee of the one-party state, but still largely as figure heads for the sake of national unity.
Perhaps the Socialist government will give them a different trajectory. But we need to be clear with the democratic model the Socialist Party is pursuing.
For now, I am for the why not. Our traditional leaders have tremendous power and to add more power over the provincial and district bureaucracies is announcing the death of local democracy, at least liberal democracy as we know it.
For example, there are few brave MPs who can stand on a popular ticket within chiefdoms without the consent of the chiefs. Why do you think PF (or is UKA) MPs are excited for meeting Mwata Kazembe recently. They are excited because the meeting is an indirect endorsement of their political agenda.
Most of the chiefs are terribly conservative with a narrow world frame of reference. To them, the village remains their world yet like the late African Philosopher; Ali Mazrui once observed the globe is now the village. So, the One Zambia, One Nation as a mantra for national integration will be buried.
To have leaders who are already not fully accountable to
their subjects and add more powers is simply to corrupt them absolutely. All human beings, including our religious and traditional leaders are vulnerable to abuse of power. Let us not glorify easily.